Motor vehicle having a preventatively acting safety system

• US 8,275,519 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Bernzen, Werner, Reutter, Dominic, Wagner, Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Ilan, Ruth
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRISBY, KEITH J
• Application Number:
  US11/631,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,643 Days
• Field of Search: 701/45, 280/734, 280/735, 280/806, 180/268, 180/282, 180/271
• US Class Current: 701/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01313 monitoring the vehicle steering system or the dynamic control system
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01322 comprising variable thresholds, e.g. depending from other collision parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/0132 responsive to vehicle motion parameters , e.g. to vehicle longitudinal or transversal deceleration or speed value

Abstract

A preventatively acting safety system for a motor vehicle comprises safety devices which are actuated as a function of information which is recorded by a driving situation detection device by means of a driving state sensor system and is evaluated in a data evaluation device. The recorded information are compared with at least one triggering threshold value and the safety devices being actuated when the triggering threshold value is exceeded. The triggering threshold value is adapted as a function of a total vehicle acceleration and a vehicle speed, to correspond to a degree of danger felt by a vehicle occupant.

Claims

1. A preventatively acting vehicle safety system, wherein:

safety devices are preventatively actuated as a function of information recorded by a driving situation detection device by means of a driving state sensor system;

said information is evaluated in a data evaluation device, by comparing it with at least one triggering threshold value to identify a lateral dynamics-critical driving situation;

the safety devices are preventatively actuated when the at least one triggering threshold value is exceeded;

the at least one triggering threshold value is adjusted to account for the lateral dynamics-critical driving situation as a function of vehicle acceleration and a vehicle speed; and

the vehicle acceleration is a total vehicle acceleration composed of longitudinal and lateral acceleration values, wherein the lateral dynamics-critical driving situation is an understeer or oversteer.

2. The preventatively acting vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the triggering threshold value is at least substantially continuously adapted.

3. The preventatively acting vehicle safety system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the triggering threshold value is reduced by up to approximately 50% as the vehicle speed increases and/or as the total vehicle acceleration increases.

4. A preventively acting vehicle safety system, comprising:

driving situation detection means for recording information regarding a driving situation of a vehicle;

a data evaluation device which evaluates said information recorded by the driving situation detection means by comparing it with at least one triggering threshold value to identify a lateral dynamics-critical driving situation; and

a plurality of safety devices which are actuated when the at least one triggering threshold value is exceeded;

wherein the data evaluation device executes a triggering algorithm so that the at least one triggering threshold value is adjusted to account for the lateral dynamics-critical driving situation as a function of vehicle acceleration and a vehicle speed, and

the vehicle acceleration is a total vehicle acceleration composed of longitudinal and lateral acceleration values, wherein the lateral dynamics-critical driving situation is an understeer or oversteer.

5. The preventively active vehicle safety system according to claim 4, wherein the at least one threshold value is reduced by up to approximately 50% with at least one of increasing vehicle speed and increasing total vehicle acceleration.

6. A method for a motor vehicle with a driving state sensor system, data evaluation device and vehicle safety devices, the method comprising:

detecting, by the driving state sensor system, information regarding a vehicle operating situation;

evaluating, by the data evaluation device, the information by comparing it with at least one triggering threshold value to identify a lateral dynamics-critical driving situation; and

actuating the vehicle safety devices when the at least one triggering threshold value is exceeded,

wherein the at least one triggering threshold value is adjusted to account for the lateral dynamics-critical driving situation as a function of vehicle acceleration and a vehicle speed, and

the vehicle acceleration is a total vehicle acceleration composed of longitudinal and lateral acceleration values, wherein the lateral dynamics-critical driving situation is an understeer or oversteer.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the triggering threshold value is at least substantially continuously adapted.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the triggering threshold value is reduced by up to approximately 50% as the vehicle speed increases or as the total vehicle acceleration increases.